THE STUDY SAMPLE INCLUDED 150 MALE PRISONERS. AN EQUAL NUMBER OF CRIMINALS WHO HAD COMMITTED MURDER AND OTHER PETTY CRIMES WAS CHOSEN. TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF CASTE ON THE NATURE OF CRIME, SUBJECTS WERE DIVIDED INTO LOW-CASTE AND HIGH-CASTE GROUPS. FURTHER ANALYSIS WAS PERFORMED TO EVALUATE ANY RELATION BETWEEN CASTE AND PETTY CRIME TYPE. THREE EDUCATIONAL LEVELS (LOW, MIDDLE, AND HIGH) WERE SELECTED TO STUDY THE EFFECT OF EDUCATION ON CRIME. FINDINGS REVEALED THAT MURDERERS BELONGED MOSTLY TO HIGHER CASTES, WHEREAS MINOR OFFENDERS EMERGED PRIMARILY FROM LOWER CASTES. EXCEPT FOR ASSAULTS, PETTY CRIMES LIKE EXCISE VIOLATIONS AND THEFTS WERE PREDOMINANTLY COMMITTED BY LOW-CASTE INDIVIDUALS. AGGRAVATED ASSAULT WAS LARGELY COMMITTED BY HIGH-CASTE CRIMINALS. MURDERERS FELL IN MIDDLE-PLUS EDUCATIONAL GROUPS. OTHER OFFENDERS WERE IN THE LOW EDUCATIONAL GROUP. DATA SUGGEST THAT LOW-CASTE INDIVIDUALS ARE FORCED INTO LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC LEVELS DUE TO SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION. THUS DEPRIVED, THEY ARE PUSHED INTO ACTS OF PETTY CRIME TO FULFILL DAILY NEEDS. WITH THEIR SOCIAL STATUS SO LOW, ANY FURTHER DISCRIMINATION THROUGH LAW ENFORCEMENT OR SOCIAL CONTROL BY LEGAL ACTION IS NOT IMPORTANT. SUPPORTING DATA ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)